Flash mobs, London Bridge and elsewhere

I'd be glad if someone could explain this phenomenon to me. I don't see how it's acceptable for a busy station to be closed - or at least significantly obstructed, as in the most recent case - by a co-ordinated "social gathering" (i.e. banal publicity stunt).

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You could ask the same of Critical Mass, who periodically organise what amounts to a rolling road block of Central London.

However the challenge for the Police is that you can't hold anyone accountable if you can't identify the organiser.

Given that this was arranged for an event I think you could argue that it was irresponsible of the organisers of that event to shut a mainline station with their 'publicity' stunt. This wasn't the case when the second flash mob close Liverpool Street as they were in no way connected to T-Mobile, it was spontaneous (well as spontaneous as anything is when you organise it via an on-line social network).

I happened to be in the station at the time and it was not closed or significantly inaccessible at any time. I understand that it was the authorities decision to move people directly outside the main entrance that caused more problems than anything else. A speedy 3 minute publicity stunt for a London Bridge centered public event was then turned into 10 minutes of slightly chaotic pedestrian movement in one bus lane which was closed for that time. Nothing to get too excited about.

<irony> Yes, isn't it great when you just want to get home on a cold damp Friday night after a long week and there are all these people who are delaying you because they are "having fun"? You just have to laugh and enjoy it.</irony>

I think the thousands of travellers at Liverpool Street on 6 Feb were less than impressed when they were unable to get to their trains.

Most Londoners contend with inconvenience on a daily basis, and accept this as part of living in a large and busy city. But people who deliberately add to the inconvenience can seem rather selfish. What I particularly resent is that these events/happenings require policing - a fact of which their organizers are plainly aware - and this diverts police manpower away from more pressing concerns.

Perhaps am fortunate then, I don't find getting around London particularly troublesome. Sadly, I haven't seen any of these ‘spontaneous' events yet - am heading out in a minute, I would be happy to trade witnessing a sudden silent disco, or zombie attack, for a few minutes delay in my day.

London is probably not the right place for inconvenience-free living :o)